PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Identifying highly connected sites for risk-based surveillance and control of cucurbit downy mildew in the eastern United States
items: Co-administration of either curcumin or resveratrol with cisplatin treatment decreases hepatotoxicity in rats via anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress-apoptotic pathways
items: Population-specific equations of age-related maximum handgrip force: a comprehensive review
items: Clinical characteristics, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers, and inflammatory markers in individuals with post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya: a cross-sectional study
items: Methodology for the assessment of poor-data water resources
items: Green manure combined with reduced nitrogen reduce NH3 emissions, improves yield and nitrogen use efficiencies of rice
items: The use of vocal coordination in male African elephant group departures: evidence of active leadership and consensus
items: Comprehensive evaluation of drought stress on medicinal plants: a meta-analysis
items: Physiological thermal responses of three Mexican snakes with distinct lifestyles
items: Emotion brain network topology in healthy subjects following passive listening to different auditory stimuli

Identifying highly connected sites for risk-based surveillance and control of cucurbit downy mildew in the eastern United States
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Objective Surveillance is critical for the rapid implementation of control measures for diseases caused by aerially dispersed plant pathogens, but such programs can be resource-intensive, especially for epidemics caused by long-distance dispersed pathogens. The current cucurbit downy mildew platform for monitoring, predicting and communicating the risk of disease spread in the United States is expensive to maintain. In this study, we focused on identifying sites critical for surveillance and treatment in an attempt to reduce disease monitoring costs and determine where control may be applied to mitigate the risk of disease spread. Methods Static networks were constructed based on the distance between fields, while dynamic networks were constructed based on the distance between fields and wind speed and direction, using disease data collected from 2008 to 2016. Three strategies were used to identify highly connected field sites. First, the probability of pathogen transmission between nodes and the probability of node infection were modeled over a discrete weekly time step within an epidemic year. Second, nodes identified as important were selectively removed from networks and the probability of node infection was recalculated in each epidemic year. Third, the recurring patterns of node infection were analyzed across epidemic years. Results Static networks exhibited scale-free properties where the node degree followed a power-law distribution. Betweenness centrality was the most useful metric for identifying important nodes within the networks that were associated with disease transmission and prediction. Based on betweenness centrality, field sites in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia were the most central in the disease network across epidemic years. Removing field sites identified as important limited the predicted risk of disease spread based on the dynamic network model. Conclusions Combining the dynamic network model and centrality metr…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Awino M. E. Ojwang’
creator: Alun L. Lloyd
creator: Sharmodeep Bhattacharyya
creator: Shirshendu Chatterjee
creator: David H. Gent
creator: Peter S. Ojiambo
subject: Computational Biology
subject: Ecology
subject: Parasitology
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17649
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Ojwang’ et al.
abstract: Objective Surveillance is critical for the rapid implementation of control measures for diseases caused by aerially dispersed plant pathogens, but such programs can be resource-intensive, especially for epidemics caused by long-distance dispersed pathogens. The current cucurbit downy mildew platform for monitoring, predicting and communicating the risk of disease spread in the United States is expensive to maintain. In this study, we focused on identifying sites critical for surveillance and treatment in an attempt to reduce disease monitoring costs and determine where control may be applied to mitigate the risk of disease spread. Methods Static networks were constructed based on the distance between fields, while dynamic networks were constructed based on the distance between fields and wind speed and direction, using disease data collected from 2008 to 2016. Three strategies were used to identify highly connected field sites. First, the probability of pathogen transmission between nodes and the probability of node infection were modeled over a discrete weekly time step within an epidemic year. Second, nodes identified as important were selectively removed from networks and the probability of node infection was recalculated in each epidemic year. Third, the recurring patterns of node infection were analyzed across epidemic years. Results Static networks exhibited scale-free properties where the node degree followed a power-law distribution. Betweenness centrality was the most useful metric for identifying important nodes within the networks that were associated with disease transmission and prediction. Based on betweenness centrality, field sites in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia were the most central in the disease network across epidemic years. Removing field sites identified as important limited the predicted risk of disease spread based on the dynamic network model. Conclusions Combining the dynamic network model and centrality metr…
bibliographic citation: Ojwang’ et al. (2024) Identifying highly connected sites for risk-based surveillance and control of cucurbit downy mildew in the eastern United States. PeerJ 12:e17649 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17649
date submitted: 2023-12-12
date accepted: 2024-06-06
issued: 2024-07-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
author list: Agent
  family name: Ojwang’
  given name: Awino M. E.
author list: Agent
  family name: Lloyd
  given name: Alun L.
author list: Agent
  family name: Bhattacharyya
  given name: Sharmodeep
author list: Agent
  family name: Chatterjee
  given name: Shirshendu
author list: Agent
  family name: Gent
  given name: David H.
author list: Agent
  family name: Ojiambo
  given name: Peter S.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17649
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-22
copyright: © 2024 Ojwang’ et al.
attribution name: Ojwang’ et al.

Co-administration of either curcumin or resveratrol with cisplatin treatment decreases hepatotoxicity in rats via anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress-apoptotic pathways
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Cisplatin (CIS) is a broad-spectrum anticancer drug, with cytotoxic effects on either malignant or normal cells. We aimed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity in rats caused by CIS and its amelioration by the co-administration of either curcumin or resveratrol. Materials and Methods Forty adult male rats divided into four equal groups: (control group): rats were given a saline solution (0.9%) once intraperitoneally, daily for the next 28 days; (cisplatin group): rats were given a daily oral dose of saline solution (0.9%) for 28 days after receiving a single dose of cisplatin (3.3 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for three successive days; (CIS plus curcumin/resveratrol groups): rats received the same previous dose of cisplatin (3.3 mg/kg) daily for three successive days followed by oral administration of either curcumin/resveratrol solution at a dose of (20 mg/kg) or (10 mg/kg) consequently daily for 28 days. Different laboratory tests (ALT, AST, ALP, bilirubin, oxidative stress markers) and light microscopic investigations were done. Results Administration of CIS resulted in hepatotoxicity in the form of increased liver enzymes, oxidative stress markers; degenerative and apoptotic changes, the co-administration of CIS with either curcumin or resveratrol improved hepatotoxicity through improved microscopic structural changes, reduction in liver enzymes activity, decreased oxidative stress markers, improved degenerative, and apoptotic changes in liver tissues. Conclusion Co-administration of either curcumin or resveratrol with cisplatin treatment could ameliorate hepatotoxicity caused by cisplatin in rats via anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress-apoptotic pathways.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Osama I. Ramadan
creator: Lashin S. Ali
creator: Fatma M. Abd-Allah
creator: Rafik E. A. Ereba
creator: Humeda S. Humeda
creator: Ahmed A. Damanhory
creator: Ahmed E. Moustafa
creator: Amr M. Younes
creator: Moaaz M. Y. Awad
creator: Nassar A. A. Omar
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Toxicology
subject: Histology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17687
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Ramadan et al.
abstract: Background Cisplatin (CIS) is a broad-spectrum anticancer drug, with cytotoxic effects on either malignant or normal cells. We aimed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity in rats caused by CIS and its amelioration by the co-administration of either curcumin or resveratrol. Materials and Methods Forty adult male rats divided into four equal groups: (control group): rats were given a saline solution (0.9%) once intraperitoneally, daily for the next 28 days; (cisplatin group): rats were given a daily oral dose of saline solution (0.9%) for 28 days after receiving a single dose of cisplatin (3.3 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for three successive days; (CIS plus curcumin/resveratrol groups): rats received the same previous dose of cisplatin (3.3 mg/kg) daily for three successive days followed by oral administration of either curcumin/resveratrol solution at a dose of (20 mg/kg) or (10 mg/kg) consequently daily for 28 days. Different laboratory tests (ALT, AST, ALP, bilirubin, oxidative stress markers) and light microscopic investigations were done. Results Administration of CIS resulted in hepatotoxicity in the form of increased liver enzymes, oxidative stress markers; degenerative and apoptotic changes, the co-administration of CIS with either curcumin or resveratrol improved hepatotoxicity through improved microscopic structural changes, reduction in liver enzymes activity, decreased oxidative stress markers, improved degenerative, and apoptotic changes in liver tissues. Conclusion Co-administration of either curcumin or resveratrol with cisplatin treatment could ameliorate hepatotoxicity caused by cisplatin in rats via anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress-apoptotic pathways.
bibliographic citation: Ramadan et al. (2024) Co-administration of either curcumin or resveratrol with cisplatin treatment decreases hepatotoxicity in rats via anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress-apoptotic pathways. PeerJ 12:e17687 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17687
date submitted: 2024-01-18
date accepted: 2024-06-14
issued: 2024-07-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Ramadan
  given name: Osama I.
author list: Agent
  family name: S. Ali
  given name: Lashin
author list: Agent
  family name: M. Abd-Allah
  given name: Fatma
author list: Agent
  family name: E. A. Ereba
  given name: Rafik
author list: Agent
  family name: S. Humeda
  given name: Humeda
author list: Agent
  family name: A. Damanhory
  given name: Ahmed
author list: Agent
  family name: E. Moustafa
  given name: Ahmed
author list: Agent
  family name: M. Younes
  given name: Amr
author list: Agent
  family name: M. Y. Awad
  given name: Moaaz
author list: Agent
  family name: A. A. Omar
  given name: Nassar
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17687
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-22
copyright: © 2024 Ramadan et al.
attribution name: Ramadan et al.

Population-specific equations of age-related maximum handgrip force: a comprehensive review
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background The measurement of handgrip force responses is important in many aspects, for example: to complement neurological assessments, to investigate the contribution of muscle mass in predicting functional outcomes, in setting realistic treatment goals, evaluating rehabilitation strategies. Normative data about handgrip force can assist the therapist in interpreting a patient’s results compared with healthy individuals of the same age and gender and can serve as key decision criteria. In this context, establishing normative values of handgrip strength is crucial. Hence, the aim of the this study is to develop a tool that could be used both in rehabilitation and in the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This tool takes the form of population-specific predictive equations, which express maximum handgrip force as a function of age. Methodology In order to collect data from studies measuring maximum handgrip force, three databases were searched. The search yielded 5,058 articles. Upon the removal of duplicates, the screening of abstracts and the full-text review of potentially relevant articles, 143 publications which focussed on experimental studies on various age groups were considered as fulfilling the eligibility criteria. A comprehensive literature review produced 1,276 mean values of maximum handgrip force. Results A meta-analysis resulted in gender- and world region-specific (general population, USA, Europe and Asia) equations expressing maximum force as a function of age. The equations showed quantitative differences and trends in maximum handgrip force among age, gender and national groups. They also showed that values of maximum handgrip force are about 40% higher for males than for females and that age-induced decrease in force differs between males and females, with a proved 35% difference between the ages of 35 and 75. The difference was lowest for the 60–64 year olds and highest for the 18–25 year-olds. The equations also showed that…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Danuta Roman-Liu
creator: Joanna Kamińska
creator: Tomasz Macjej Tokarski
subject: Biomechanics
subject: Rehabilitation
subject: Sports Medicine
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17703
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Roman-Liu et al.
abstract: Background The measurement of handgrip force responses is important in many aspects, for example: to complement neurological assessments, to investigate the contribution of muscle mass in predicting functional outcomes, in setting realistic treatment goals, evaluating rehabilitation strategies. Normative data about handgrip force can assist the therapist in interpreting a patient’s results compared with healthy individuals of the same age and gender and can serve as key decision criteria. In this context, establishing normative values of handgrip strength is crucial. Hence, the aim of the this study is to develop a tool that could be used both in rehabilitation and in the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This tool takes the form of population-specific predictive equations, which express maximum handgrip force as a function of age. Methodology In order to collect data from studies measuring maximum handgrip force, three databases were searched. The search yielded 5,058 articles. Upon the removal of duplicates, the screening of abstracts and the full-text review of potentially relevant articles, 143 publications which focussed on experimental studies on various age groups were considered as fulfilling the eligibility criteria. A comprehensive literature review produced 1,276 mean values of maximum handgrip force. Results A meta-analysis resulted in gender- and world region-specific (general population, USA, Europe and Asia) equations expressing maximum force as a function of age. The equations showed quantitative differences and trends in maximum handgrip force among age, gender and national groups. They also showed that values of maximum handgrip force are about 40% higher for males than for females and that age-induced decrease in force differs between males and females, with a proved 35% difference between the ages of 35 and 75. The difference was lowest for the 60–64 year olds and highest for the 18–25 year-olds. The equations also showed that…
bibliographic citation: Roman-Liu et al. (2024) Population-specific equations of age-related maximum handgrip force: a comprehensive review. PeerJ 12:e17703 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17703
date submitted: 2024-02-13
date accepted: 2024-06-18
issued: 2024-07-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Roman-Liu
  given name: Danuta
author list: Agent
  family name: Kamińska
  given name: Joanna
author list: Agent
  family name: Tokarski
  given name: Tomasz Macjej
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17703
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-22
copyright: ©2024 Roman-Liu et al.
attribution name: Roman-Liu et al.

Clinical characteristics, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers, and inflammatory markers in individuals with post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya: a cross-sectional study
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Post-coronavirus disease 2019 (post-COVID-19) is associated with considerable morbidity and reduced quality of life. However, studies characterizing the post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya are limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of post-COVID-19 condition and determine the clinical characteristics, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers, and concentrations of inflammatory markers of individuals with post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Kenyatta University Health Unit, Kenya. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a questionnaire. The serum levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Independent samples t-test was used to compare the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IL-6, and CRP levels between the participants with and without post-COVID-19 symptoms. The case definition for post-COVID-19 condition was persistence of acute COVID-19 symptoms or emergence of new symptoms 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis, symptoms lasting for ≥2 months, and absence of any other etiological basis to explain the symptoms. Results A total of 189 volunteers were recruited in this study (median age: 21 years, range: 18–71 years; male, 49.2%). Forty participants reported having had at least one COVID-19 positive diagnosis in the past, of which 12 (30%) complained of post-COVID-19 symptoms. Significant differences in the number and duration of symptoms were observed between the individuals with and without post-COVID-19 symptoms (t-statistic = 2.87, p = 0.01; t-statistic = 2.39, p = 0.02, respectively). However, no significant differences in serum levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IL-6, and CRP were observed between the two groups (P = 0.08, 0.9, and 0.28, respectively). Conclusion These findings suggest that post-COVID-19 condition is a health concern even for a relatively young population in Kenya and globally. This c…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Martin Theuri
creator: Eric M. Ndombi
creator: Peris Thamaini
creator: James Opiyo Ogutu
creator: Lister Onsongo
creator: June K. Madete
creator: Victor Ofula
creator: Samuel Gitau
creator: Gladys Mwangi
creator: Paul Okemo
subject: Epidemiology
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: Pathology
subject: Public Health
subject: COVID-19
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17723
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Theuri et al.
abstract: Background Post-coronavirus disease 2019 (post-COVID-19) is associated with considerable morbidity and reduced quality of life. However, studies characterizing the post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya are limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of post-COVID-19 condition and determine the clinical characteristics, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers, and concentrations of inflammatory markers of individuals with post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Kenyatta University Health Unit, Kenya. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a questionnaire. The serum levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Independent samples t-test was used to compare the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IL-6, and CRP levels between the participants with and without post-COVID-19 symptoms. The case definition for post-COVID-19 condition was persistence of acute COVID-19 symptoms or emergence of new symptoms 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis, symptoms lasting for ≥2 months, and absence of any other etiological basis to explain the symptoms. Results A total of 189 volunteers were recruited in this study (median age: 21 years, range: 18–71 years; male, 49.2%). Forty participants reported having had at least one COVID-19 positive diagnosis in the past, of which 12 (30%) complained of post-COVID-19 symptoms. Significant differences in the number and duration of symptoms were observed between the individuals with and without post-COVID-19 symptoms (t-statistic = 2.87, p = 0.01; t-statistic = 2.39, p = 0.02, respectively). However, no significant differences in serum levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IL-6, and CRP were observed between the two groups (P = 0.08, 0.9, and 0.28, respectively). Conclusion These findings suggest that post-COVID-19 condition is a health concern even for a relatively young population in Kenya and globally. This c…
bibliographic citation: Theuri et al. (2024) Clinical characteristics, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers, and inflammatory markers in individuals with post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya: a cross-sectional study. PeerJ 12:e17723 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17723
date submitted: 2024-04-16
date accepted: 2024-06-20
issued: 2024-07-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Theuri
  given name: Martin
author list: Agent
  family name: Ndombi
  given name: Eric M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Thamaini
  given name: Peris
author list: Agent
  family name: Ogutu
  given name: James Opiyo
author list: Agent
  family name: Onsongo
  given name: Lister
author list: Agent
  family name: Madete
  given name: June K.
author list: Agent
  family name: Ofula
  given name: Victor
author list: Agent
  family name: Gitau
  given name: Samuel
author list: Agent
  family name: Mwangi
  given name: Gladys
author list: Agent
  family name: Okemo
  given name: Paul
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17723
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-22
copyright: © 2024 Theuri et al.
attribution name: Theuri et al.

Methodology for the assessment of poor-data water resources
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Surface hydrologic modeling becomes a problem when insufficient spatial and temporal information is available. It is common to have useful modeling periods of less than 15 years. The purpose of this work is to develop a methodology that allows the selection of meteorological and hydrometric stations that are suitable for modeling when information is scarce in the area. Based on the scarcity of data, a series of statistical tests are proposed to eliminate stations according to a decision-making process. Although the number of stations decreases drastically, the information used is reliable and of adequate quality, ensuring less uncertainty in the surface simulation models. Individual basin modeling can be carried out considering the poor data. The transfer of parameters can be applied through the nesting of basins to have information distributed over an extensive area. Therefore, temporally and spatially extended modeling can be achieved with information that preserves statistical parameters over time. If data management and validation is performed, the modeled watersheds are well represented; if this is not done, only 26% to 50% of the runoff is represented.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: María del Mar Navarro-Farfán
creator: Liliana García-Romero
creator: Marco A. Martínez-Cinco
creator: Constantino Domínguez-Sánchez
creator: Sonia Tatiana Sánchez-Quispe
subject: Ecosystem Science
subject: Natural Resource Management
subject: Ecohydrology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17755
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Navarro - Farfán et al.
abstract: Surface hydrologic modeling becomes a problem when insufficient spatial and temporal information is available. It is common to have useful modeling periods of less than 15 years. The purpose of this work is to develop a methodology that allows the selection of meteorological and hydrometric stations that are suitable for modeling when information is scarce in the area. Based on the scarcity of data, a series of statistical tests are proposed to eliminate stations according to a decision-making process. Although the number of stations decreases drastically, the information used is reliable and of adequate quality, ensuring less uncertainty in the surface simulation models. Individual basin modeling can be carried out considering the poor data. The transfer of parameters can be applied through the nesting of basins to have information distributed over an extensive area. Therefore, temporally and spatially extended modeling can be achieved with information that preserves statistical parameters over time. If data management and validation is performed, the modeled watersheds are well represented; if this is not done, only 26% to 50% of the runoff is represented.
bibliographic citation: Navarro-Farfán et al. (2024) Methodology for the assessment of poor-data water resources. PeerJ 12:e17755 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17755
date submitted: 2024-04-29
date accepted: 2024-06-25
issued: 2024-07-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Navarro-Farfán
  given name: María del Mar
author list: Agent
  family name: García-Romero
  given name: Liliana
author list: Agent
  family name: Martínez-Cinco
  given name: Marco A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Domínguez-Sánchez
  given name: Constantino
author list: Agent
  family name: Sánchez-Quispe
  given name: Sonia Tatiana
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17755
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-22
copyright: © 2024 Navarro-Farfán et al.
attribution name: Navarro - Farfán et al.

Green manure combined with reduced nitrogen reduce NH3 emissions, improves yield and nitrogen use efficiencies of rice
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Green manure is an important source of organic fertilizer. Exploring green fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer reduction is important for agricultural production. However, few studies have been conducted, especially on the effects of different green fertilizers along with reduced nitrogen fertilizer application on soil ammonia volatilization emissions, rice yield, and nitrogen fertilizer uptake and utilization. Methods In this study, the effects of different types of green manure and reduced nitrogen fertilizer application on soil ammonia volatilization emissions, aboveground population characteristics of rice, and nitrogen fertilizer uptake and utilization were explored. This study was based on a field-positioning experiment conducted between 2020 and 2022. Six treatments were established: no nitrogen fertilizer application (CK), conventional fertilization in wheat-rice (WR), villous villosa-rice (VvR), vetch sativa-rice (VsR), rapeseed seed-rice (RR), and milk vetch-rice (GR), with a 20% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer application. The amounts of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers remained unchanged. The characteristics of ammonia volatilization loss in rice fields, agronomic traits of rice, yield traits, and nitrogen uptake and utilization were investigated. Results The results indicated a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the impact of different treatments on ammonia volatilization emissions from rice in the two-year experiment. Compared with WR treatment, VvR, VsR, RR, and GR treatments reduced the total ammonia volatilization loss by 23.58 to 39.21 kg ha−1, respectively. Compared with the conventional WR treatment, other treatments increased rice yield by 0.09 to 0.83 t ha−1. GR treatment was significantly higher than other green fertilizer treatments, except for VsR (P < 0.05). It increased the nitrogen uptake of rice by an average of 4.24%–22.24% and 13.08%–33.21% over the two years, respectively. The impact of different types of green manure…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Zhongze Hu
creator: Daliu Yang
creator: Yaming Feng
creator: Shuanglin Zhang
creator: An Wang
creator: Qiaozhen Wang
creator: Yayun Yang
creator: Chunying Chen
creator: Yuefang Zhang
creator: Xian Wang
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Plant Science
subject: Environmental Impacts
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17761
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Hu et al.
abstract: Background Green manure is an important source of organic fertilizer. Exploring green fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer reduction is important for agricultural production. However, few studies have been conducted, especially on the effects of different green fertilizers along with reduced nitrogen fertilizer application on soil ammonia volatilization emissions, rice yield, and nitrogen fertilizer uptake and utilization. Methods In this study, the effects of different types of green manure and reduced nitrogen fertilizer application on soil ammonia volatilization emissions, aboveground population characteristics of rice, and nitrogen fertilizer uptake and utilization were explored. This study was based on a field-positioning experiment conducted between 2020 and 2022. Six treatments were established: no nitrogen fertilizer application (CK), conventional fertilization in wheat-rice (WR), villous villosa-rice (VvR), vetch sativa-rice (VsR), rapeseed seed-rice (RR), and milk vetch-rice (GR), with a 20% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer application. The amounts of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers remained unchanged. The characteristics of ammonia volatilization loss in rice fields, agronomic traits of rice, yield traits, and nitrogen uptake and utilization were investigated. Results The results indicated a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the impact of different treatments on ammonia volatilization emissions from rice in the two-year experiment. Compared with WR treatment, VvR, VsR, RR, and GR treatments reduced the total ammonia volatilization loss by 23.58 to 39.21 kg ha−1, respectively. Compared with the conventional WR treatment, other treatments increased rice yield by 0.09 to 0.83 t ha−1. GR treatment was significantly higher than other green fertilizer treatments, except for VsR (P < 0.05). It increased the nitrogen uptake of rice by an average of 4.24%–22.24% and 13.08%–33.21% over the two years, respectively. The impact of different types of green manure…
bibliographic citation: Hu et al. (2024) Green manure combined with reduced nitrogen reduce NH3 emissions, improves yield and nitrogen use efficiencies of rice. PeerJ 12:e17761 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17761
date submitted: 2024-01-26
date accepted: 2024-06-26
issued: 2024-07-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Hu
  given name: Zhongze
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Daliu
author list: Agent
  family name: Feng
  given name: Yaming
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Shuanglin
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: An
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Qiaozhen
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Yayun
author list: Agent
  family name: Chen
  given name: Chunying
author list: Agent
  family name: Zhang
  given name: Yuefang
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Xian
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17761
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-22
copyright: ©2024 Hu et al.
attribution name: Hu et al.

The use of vocal coordination in male African elephant group departures: evidence of active leadership and consensus
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Group-living animals engage in coordinated vocalizations to depart from a location as a group, and often, to come to a consensus about the direction of movement. Here, we document for the first time, the use of coordinated vocalizations, the “let’s go” rumble, in wild male African elephant group departures from a waterhole. We recorded vocalizations and collected behavioral data as known individuals engaged in these vocal bouts during June-July field seasons in 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2017 at Mushara waterhole within Etosha National Park, Namibia. During departure events, we documented which individuals were involved in the calls, the signature structure of each individual’s calls, as well as the ordering of callers, the social status of the callers, and those who initiated departure. The “let’s go” rumble was previously described in tight-knit family groups to keep the family together during coordinated departures. Male elephants are described as living in loose social groups, making this finding particularly striking. We found that this vocal coordination occurs in groups of closely associated, highly bonded individuals and rarely occurs between looser associates. The three individuals most likely to initiate the “let’s go” rumble bouts were all highly socially integrated, and one of these individuals was also the most dominant overall. This finding suggests that more socially integrated individuals might be more likely to initiate, or lead, a close group of associates in the context of leaving the waterhole, just as a high-ranking female would do in a family group. The fact that many individuals were involved in the vocal bouts, and that departure periods could be shorter, longer, or the same amount of time as pre-departure periods, all suggest that there is consensus with regard to the act of leaving, even though the event was triggered by a lead individual.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Caitlin E. O’Connell-Rodwell
creator: Jodie L. Berezin
creator: Alessio Pignatelli
creator: Timothy C. Rodwell
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Ecology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17767
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 O’Connell-Rodwell et al.
abstract: Group-living animals engage in coordinated vocalizations to depart from a location as a group, and often, to come to a consensus about the direction of movement. Here, we document for the first time, the use of coordinated vocalizations, the “let’s go” rumble, in wild male African elephant group departures from a waterhole. We recorded vocalizations and collected behavioral data as known individuals engaged in these vocal bouts during June-July field seasons in 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2017 at Mushara waterhole within Etosha National Park, Namibia. During departure events, we documented which individuals were involved in the calls, the signature structure of each individual’s calls, as well as the ordering of callers, the social status of the callers, and those who initiated departure. The “let’s go” rumble was previously described in tight-knit family groups to keep the family together during coordinated departures. Male elephants are described as living in loose social groups, making this finding particularly striking. We found that this vocal coordination occurs in groups of closely associated, highly bonded individuals and rarely occurs between looser associates. The three individuals most likely to initiate the “let’s go” rumble bouts were all highly socially integrated, and one of these individuals was also the most dominant overall. This finding suggests that more socially integrated individuals might be more likely to initiate, or lead, a close group of associates in the context of leaving the waterhole, just as a high-ranking female would do in a family group. The fact that many individuals were involved in the vocal bouts, and that departure periods could be shorter, longer, or the same amount of time as pre-departure periods, all suggest that there is consensus with regard to the act of leaving, even though the event was triggered by a lead individual.
bibliographic citation: O’Connell-Rodwell et al. (2024) The use of vocal coordination in male African elephant group departures: evidence of active leadership and consensus. PeerJ 12:e17767 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17767
date submitted: 2024-05-17
date accepted: 2024-06-26
issued: 2024-07-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
author list: Agent
  family name: O’Connell-Rodwell
  given name: Caitlin E.
author list: Agent
  family name: Berezin
  given name: Jodie L.
author list: Agent
  family name: Pignatelli
  given name: Alessio
author list: Agent
  family name: Rodwell
  given name: Timothy C.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17767
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-22
copyright: ©2024 O’Connell-Rodwell et al.
attribution name: O’Connell-Rodwell et al.

Comprehensive evaluation of drought stress on medicinal plants: a meta-analysis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Drought stress significantly affects plants by altering their physiological and biochemical processes, which can severely limit their growth and development. Similarly, drought has severe negative effects on medicinal plants, which are essential for healthcare. The effects are particularly significant in areas that rely mostly on traditional medicine, which might potentially jeopardize both global health and local economies. Understanding effects of droughts on medicinal plants is essential for developing strategies to enhance plant adaptability to drought stress, which is vital for sustaining agricultural productivity under changing climatic conditions. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted on 27 studies examining various parameters such as plant yield, chlorophyll content, relative water content, essential oil content, essential oil yield, non-enzymatic antioxidants, enzymatic antioxidants, phenols, flavonoids, and proline content. The analysis explored the effects of drought across different stress conditions (control, moderate, and severe) to gain deeper insights into the drought’s impact. The categorization of these stress conditions was based on field or soil capacity: control (100–80%), moderate (80–50%), and severe (below 50%). This classification was guided by the authors’ descriptions in their studies. According to meta-analysis results, enzymatic antioxidants emerge as the most responsive parameters to stress. Other parameters such as relative water content (RWC) and yield also exhibit considerable negative mean effect sizes under all three stress conditions. Therefore, when evaluating the impacts of drought stress on medicinal plants, it is beneficial to include these three parameters (enzymatic antioxidants, RWC, and yield) in an evaluation of drought stress. The chlorophyll content has been determined not to be a reliable indicator for measuring impact of drought stress. Also, measuring antioxidants such as flavonoids and phenols could be a bett…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Uğur Tan
creator: Hatice Kübra Gören
subject: Agricultural Science
subject: Environmental Sciences
subject: Plant Science
subject: Climate Change Biology
subject: Environmental Impacts
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17801
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Tan and Gören
abstract: Drought stress significantly affects plants by altering their physiological and biochemical processes, which can severely limit their growth and development. Similarly, drought has severe negative effects on medicinal plants, which are essential for healthcare. The effects are particularly significant in areas that rely mostly on traditional medicine, which might potentially jeopardize both global health and local economies. Understanding effects of droughts on medicinal plants is essential for developing strategies to enhance plant adaptability to drought stress, which is vital for sustaining agricultural productivity under changing climatic conditions. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted on 27 studies examining various parameters such as plant yield, chlorophyll content, relative water content, essential oil content, essential oil yield, non-enzymatic antioxidants, enzymatic antioxidants, phenols, flavonoids, and proline content. The analysis explored the effects of drought across different stress conditions (control, moderate, and severe) to gain deeper insights into the drought’s impact. The categorization of these stress conditions was based on field or soil capacity: control (100–80%), moderate (80–50%), and severe (below 50%). This classification was guided by the authors’ descriptions in their studies. According to meta-analysis results, enzymatic antioxidants emerge as the most responsive parameters to stress. Other parameters such as relative water content (RWC) and yield also exhibit considerable negative mean effect sizes under all three stress conditions. Therefore, when evaluating the impacts of drought stress on medicinal plants, it is beneficial to include these three parameters (enzymatic antioxidants, RWC, and yield) in an evaluation of drought stress. The chlorophyll content has been determined not to be a reliable indicator for measuring impact of drought stress. Also, measuring antioxidants such as flavonoids and phenols could be a bett…
bibliographic citation: Tan et al. (2024) Comprehensive evaluation of drought stress on medicinal plants: a meta-analysis. PeerJ 12:e17801 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17801
date submitted: 2024-05-03
date accepted: 2024-07-02
issued: 2024-07-22
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Tan
  given name: Uğur
author list: Agent
  family name: Gören
  given name: Hatice Kübra
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17801
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-22
copyright: © 2024 Tan and Gören
attribution name: Tan and Gören

Physiological thermal responses of three Mexican snakes with distinct lifestyles
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: The impact of temperature on reptile physiology has been examined through two main parameters: locomotor performance and metabolic rates. Among reptiles, different species may respond to environmental temperatures in distinct ways, depending on their thermal sensitivity. Such variation can be linked to the ecological lifestyle of the species and needs to be taken into consideration when assessing the thermal influence on physiology. This is particularly relevant for snakes, which are a very functionally diverse group. In this study, our aim was to analyze the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in three snake species from central Mexico (Crotalus polystictus, Conopsis lineata, and Thamnophis melanogaster), highlighting how it is influenced by their distinctive behavioral and ecological traits. We tested both physiological parameters in five thermal treatments: 15 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 33 °C, and 36 °C. Using the performance data, we developed thermal performance curves (TPCs) for each species and analyzed the RMR data using generalized linear mixed models. The optimal temperature for locomotion of C. polystictus falls near its critical thermal maximum, suggesting that it can maintain performance at high temperatures but with a narrow thermal safety margin. T. melanogaster exhibited the fastest swimming speeds and the highest mass-adjusted RMR. This aligns with our expectations since it is an active forager, a high energy demand mode. The three species have a wide performance breadth, which suggests that they are thermal generalists that can maintain performance over a wide interval of temperatures. This can be beneficial to C. lineata in its cold habitat, since such a characteristic has been found to allow some species to maintain adequate performance levels in suboptimal temperatures. RMR increased along with temperature, but the proportional surge was not uniform since thermal sensitivity measured through Q10 increased at the …
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ricardo Figueroa-Huitrón
creator: Anibal Díaz de la Vega-Pérez
creator: Melissa Plasman
creator: Hibraim Adán Pérez-Mendoza
subject: Ecology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17705
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Figueroa-Huitrón et al.
abstract: The impact of temperature on reptile physiology has been examined through two main parameters: locomotor performance and metabolic rates. Among reptiles, different species may respond to environmental temperatures in distinct ways, depending on their thermal sensitivity. Such variation can be linked to the ecological lifestyle of the species and needs to be taken into consideration when assessing the thermal influence on physiology. This is particularly relevant for snakes, which are a very functionally diverse group. In this study, our aim was to analyze the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in three snake species from central Mexico (Crotalus polystictus, Conopsis lineata, and Thamnophis melanogaster), highlighting how it is influenced by their distinctive behavioral and ecological traits. We tested both physiological parameters in five thermal treatments: 15 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 33 °C, and 36 °C. Using the performance data, we developed thermal performance curves (TPCs) for each species and analyzed the RMR data using generalized linear mixed models. The optimal temperature for locomotion of C. polystictus falls near its critical thermal maximum, suggesting that it can maintain performance at high temperatures but with a narrow thermal safety margin. T. melanogaster exhibited the fastest swimming speeds and the highest mass-adjusted RMR. This aligns with our expectations since it is an active forager, a high energy demand mode. The three species have a wide performance breadth, which suggests that they are thermal generalists that can maintain performance over a wide interval of temperatures. This can be beneficial to C. lineata in its cold habitat, since such a characteristic has been found to allow some species to maintain adequate performance levels in suboptimal temperatures. RMR increased along with temperature, but the proportional surge was not uniform since thermal sensitivity measured through Q10 increased at the …
bibliographic citation: Figueroa-Huitrón et al. (2024) Physiological thermal responses of three Mexican snakes with distinct lifestyles. PeerJ 12:e17705 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17705
date submitted: 2023-12-26
date accepted: 2024-06-18
issued: 2024-07-19
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Figueroa-Huitrón
  given name: Ricardo
author list: Agent
  family name: Díaz de la Vega-Pérez
  given name: Anibal
author list: Agent
  family name: Plasman
  given name: Melissa
author list: Agent
  family name: Pérez-Mendoza
  given name: Hibraim Adán
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17705
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-19
copyright: © 2024 Figueroa-Huitrón et al.
attribution name: Figueroa-Huitrón et al.

Emotion brain network topology in healthy subjects following passive listening to different auditory stimuli
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: A large body of research establishes the efficacy of musical intervention in many aspects of physical, cognitive, communication, social, and emotional rehabilitation. However, the underlying neural mechanisms for musical therapy remain elusive. This study aimed to investigate the potential neural correlates of musical therapy, focusing on the changes in the topology of emotion brain network. To this end, a Bayesian statistical approach and a cross-over experimental design were employed together with two resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) as controls. MEG recordings of 30 healthy subjects were acquired while listening to five auditory stimuli in random order. Two resting-state MEG recordings of each subject were obtained, one prior to the first stimulus (pre) and one after the final stimulus (post). Time series at the level of brain regions were estimated using depth-weighted minimum norm estimation (wMNE) source reconstruction method and the functional connectivity between these regions were computed. The resultant connectivity matrices were used to derive two topological network measures: transitivity and global efficiency which are important in gauging the functional segregation and integration of brain network respectively. The differences in these measures between pre- and post-stimuli resting MEG were set as the equivalence regions. We found that the network measures under all auditory stimuli were equivalent to the resting state network measures in all frequency bands, indicating that the topology of the functional brain network associated with emotional regulation in healthy subjects remains unchanged following these auditory stimuli. This suggests that changes in the emotion network topology may not be the underlying neural mechanism of musical therapy. Nonetheless, further studies are required to explore the neural mechanisms of musical interventions especially in the populations with neuropsychiatric disorders.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Muhammad Hakimi Mohd Rashid
creator: Nur Syairah Ab Rani
creator: Mohammed Kannan
creator: Mohd Waqiyuddin Abdullah
creator: Muhammad Amiri Ab Ghani
creator: Nidal Kamel
creator: Muzaimi Mustapha
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Mental Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.17721
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2024 Mohd Rashid et al.
abstract: A large body of research establishes the efficacy of musical intervention in many aspects of physical, cognitive, communication, social, and emotional rehabilitation. However, the underlying neural mechanisms for musical therapy remain elusive. This study aimed to investigate the potential neural correlates of musical therapy, focusing on the changes in the topology of emotion brain network. To this end, a Bayesian statistical approach and a cross-over experimental design were employed together with two resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) as controls. MEG recordings of 30 healthy subjects were acquired while listening to five auditory stimuli in random order. Two resting-state MEG recordings of each subject were obtained, one prior to the first stimulus (pre) and one after the final stimulus (post). Time series at the level of brain regions were estimated using depth-weighted minimum norm estimation (wMNE) source reconstruction method and the functional connectivity between these regions were computed. The resultant connectivity matrices were used to derive two topological network measures: transitivity and global efficiency which are important in gauging the functional segregation and integration of brain network respectively. The differences in these measures between pre- and post-stimuli resting MEG were set as the equivalence regions. We found that the network measures under all auditory stimuli were equivalent to the resting state network measures in all frequency bands, indicating that the topology of the functional brain network associated with emotional regulation in healthy subjects remains unchanged following these auditory stimuli. This suggests that changes in the emotion network topology may not be the underlying neural mechanism of musical therapy. Nonetheless, further studies are required to explore the neural mechanisms of musical interventions especially in the populations with neuropsychiatric disorders.
bibliographic citation: Mohd Rashid et al. (2024) Emotion brain network topology in healthy subjects following passive listening to different auditory stimuli. PeerJ 12:e17721 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17721
date submitted: 2023-12-26
date accepted: 2024-06-19
issued: 2024-07-19
is part of: PeerJ
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Mohd Rashid
  given name: Muhammad Hakimi
author list: Agent
  family name: Ab Rani
  given name: Nur Syairah
author list: Agent
  family name: Kannan
  given name: Mohammed
author list: Agent
  family name: Abdullah
  given name: Mohd Waqiyuddin
author list: Agent
  family name: Ab Ghani
  given name: Muhammad Amiri
author list: Agent
  family name: Kamel
  given name: Nidal
author list: Agent
  family name: Mustapha
  given name: Muzaimi
doi: 10.7717/peerj.17721
volume: 12
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2024-07-19
copyright: ©2024 Mohd Rashid et al.
attribution name: Mohd Rashid et al.

PeerJ
type: Periodical
uri: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359